Trying to determine a reasonable cost for this

[YadaYadaYada]

I bought this ring off LT recently, it was sold to me as an "unheated Ceylon sapphire" now I know that those are very desirable words in a sapphire, when I bought it I said I will be happy if it's a natural sapphire even if it is heated and not Ceylon. I did think those claims were pretty large without documentation to back them up. I did pay through PayPal with a credit card as I always do just to be safe.

When I got the ring and louped it I noticed it was very clean, almost too clean, I did find one inclusion though which seemed to indicate it was natural, also it had really nice sparkle for a sapphire.

I bring all of my purchases to a gemologist to get checked over, I called her the day I received it, last Thursday but today was the earliest she could get me in. She checked the RI and looked at it under the microscope and told me it was a spinel, it is a natural spinel.

So I have this 7mm spinel in this crazy looking setting (which doesn't really fit the stone properly and is not my personal taste) and I'm trying to figure out if I got horribly ripped off. I paid $599 for the ring plus PayPal fees. I really love the stone but I can't love it if I got taken too badly. Obviously I don't know the origin so we can only judge by color and size then.

It has this more vivid color in the sun and indoors it shifts to a pale lavender. I really appreciate any help here!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Not that this matters for much but this was the original description, I can't speak to the weight since it wasn't removed from the setting today:

 

[missy]

@StephanieLynn did you ask the gemologist for her opinion? Since this is her field I think she might have a good idea if you got a good price or not. I am sure the colored gem PSer experts will chime in soon. Good luck.

 

[2Neesers]

I’m not a pricing expert, but for reference I purchased this spinel from Rioux Rocks for $600. It’s lighter and more violet in person than this photo and about the same diameter as yours. I think your stone is very pretty!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks @missy, the gemologist seemed to think that $499 would be more reasonable so that's $100 difference, I just don't think she is as familiar as some of the CS folk here who buy stones more frequently.

@2Neezers pretty stone! Also thank you for sharing as that is a great reference point and it seems like maybe the price was pretty fair for what I got.

 

[T L]

I think it’s a fair price. 7mm seems about a 1.5 ct spinel, and I’ve seen 1 carat lavender spinels like yours selling for hundreds of dollars. Pretty stone, I think it will look beautiful in a new setting.

 

[2Neesers]

@2Neezers pretty stone! Also thank you for sharing as that is a great reference point and it seems like maybe the price was pretty fair for what I got.

It’s a fair price if you are okay with getting a spinel when you paid for a sapphire . Spinel prices are all over the place, but the color, shape and size of the one you have is in demand right now. Luc Yen spinels like this one from a trusted vendor are priced quite a bit higher https://www.etsy.com/listing/716018...der-color-change?ref=shop_home_active_6&frs=1 , but you can also find lower priced spinel on eBay like this one https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-14Cts-In...514475?hash=item1a7e80b76b:g:LzQAAOSwaA5WkS0o

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@2Neezers if I take the annoyance factor out and consider that it might take a good deal of time and effort and shipping costs to find another spinel like this one, then it seems like keeping it would make the most sense. I know when I was looking for a spinel like this a few months back it was a very hard search and of course rounds are even harder to find!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks for weighing in @T L, I probably won't be resetting for a while but I like knowing that I have the perfect (for me) stone already here for when I do have the funds saved up and a setting in mind.

 

[T L]

Thanks for weighing in @T L, I probably won't be resetting for a while but I like knowing that I have the perfect (for me) stone already here for when I do have the funds saved up and a setting in mind.

It will be easy to set as well since it’s a round and not a wonky deep cut. This is much rarer than sapphire, probably untreated, so I think you did good despite it not being a sapphire. I am a spinel junkie though.

 

[IcePhoenix]

Your spinel is quite a nice stone and the fact that you are thrilled about it is great. That said I personally would contact the seller and tell him that you got a spinel in place of a sapphire (hopefully same carat weight). I would also specify the mismatch in feedback if you can and want to leave it. The line between innocent mistake made out of inexperience of the seller and outright lying/scammy like behaviour can be quite thin.
Setting would be nicer if the "petals" were a bit closer to the spinel in my opinion

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Thanks so much @T L, what's maybe a bit ironic is I had looked so hard for this exact color months ago and then I buy a supposed sapphire and it turns out to be the spinel I was looking for! I can see why you like the spinels so much, the sparkle is really so pretty.

@IcePhoenix, I agree about the setting, it's pretty crazy and it would be great if I could move the petals in.

I have thought about reaching out just to let her know and may still do that. When you are selling something you really do need to be so careful. Today it took an hour of my time total and $20 (I did have two other rings looked at) to determine what the stone was, I do this for all pieces I sell personally because I don't want anyone to be upset if something is not as described.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

Do you think the seller would offer a partial refund? Even a small amount would be a nice gesture on the seller's part.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Well I sent her an email to let her know my findings because if it was purchases as an estate piece from somewhere she normally buys from, she should probably know. We will see if I get a response back.

@PreRaphaelite, I did send her a message but I told her I don't want anything from her, if she offers then great but more than anything I just want it to be a wake-up call. If you are going to sell jewelry then know what you have, if someone is giving you hundreds of dollars for your items then that is the least you can do.

 

[elizat]

I have actually sold and done a partial trade with that seller. It’s all her personal stuff. I think it’s a truly honest mistake.

I have bought pieces from vendors that said they were x or y and they were in the trade. When I went to consign, I learned diamond weights were off, someone thought a deco ring was a repro, but my point is she probably listed it with the details of it as she bought it. I would want to know if I was the seller though because I would rethink buying from the original vendor though.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

That is comforting @elizat and I know it's always a risk when buying vintage that you never really know what you have.

I just sent her a message to let her know because I would want to know but even though I don't have a sapphire, it's still a pretty stone and natural so it's all good. I just hope she is a bit more careful going forward, maybe get it checked out first before listing it, that's my only real complaint.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

So just got an email back, she is surprised wants to make sure I am okay with it not being a sapphire, I tell her about how I was looking for a spinel before anyways so it's all good.

And it really is all good, you know I was never really upset about it not being a sapphire, it's still a beautiful stone and after some responses here it seems I paid a fair price. So it all worked out.

 

[2Neesers]

I’m so glad everything worked out for you! Maybe it was meant to be that the sapphire was actually a spinel, since that is what you originally wanted . I can’t wait to see how you set it! I do like the setting it came in though and would defined rock it in the meantime .

 

[Nick_G]

Funnily enough as I saw the pictures as I was reading this I wondered if it was a spinel as it looks like it has more sparkle than a sapphire. It's beautiful, and the icing on top is the colour shift. It may contain traces of cobalt. My guess is it's from Luc Yen in Vietnam, although Sri Lanka is also a possibility.

I'd definitely keep it!

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@2Neezers, yeah it's funny how it worked out like it did. I would totally wear it while I save up for a new setting but it is too small So I don't want to resize this setting just to reset. I am trying to lose weight though so we will see.

Thank you @Nick_G, definitely keeping it, I always intended to anyways but it is need to think it could be from Luc Yen!

 

[T L]

Sri Lanka is a strong possibility for origin, many nice lavenders come from there, including one of my favorite lavender spinels in my collection. Luc Yen tends to have strong color, but other locations can produce some amazing stones.

 

[Bron357]

I’ll just throw in that as a 7mm round Spinel, it’s closer to 1.5 carat in size than the 2.25 carat she suggests. Maybe she means 2.25 carats including the diamonds?
Anyway, it’s a very beautiful gem.
Let me know if you want to sell the setting. My white sapphire will fit and suit that setting

 

[YadaYadaYada]

@Bron357 you are first on my list when I reset it!